District reporting: NJGPA proficiency up in ELA, math scores lag statewide averages

District assessment lead Rich Fosnock told the curriculum committee that 1,184 11th‑grade students sat for the NJGPA this year and shared a mixed picture: the district achieved an 84% passing rate in English language arts versus an 82% state average, but mathematics lagged at 49% compared with the state’s 55%.

"Our passing proficiency rate in ELA was 84%, and the state average was 82%. In mathematics, our passing proficiency rate was 49%, while the state average was 55%." Fosnock said the district’s overall graduation‑pathway readiness as juniors stands at 67% versus a 68% state average.

Fosnock highlighted school‑level progress: High School East’s ELA proficiency rose to 89% (from 80%) and math to 52% (from 47%); High School South’s ELA improved 10 points to 77% and math to 44% (from 39%). He attributed some gains to expanded graduation‑pathway options and said the district has seen roughly 298 more students become graduation‑ready in ELA and 36 more in math compared with the prior year.

Board members asked for an exact count of students who have not yet passed secondary assessments; Fosnock said he would provide the precise figures to the board staff the following day and explained overlaps between PSAT and NJGPA cohorts.

Fosnock said more detailed NJSLA results are forthcoming and emphasized that having more students on graduation pathways helps the district allocate staff toward interventions and basic‑skills supports.

Next steps: staff will provide precise counts of students not meeting assessment thresholds and present further NJSLA results to the board.